Slugger Alex Rodriguez had successful hip surgery on Monday and is expected to return to action in six to nine weeks, the New York Yankees said.

The 33-year-old Rodriguez, baseball's highest-paid player in the second year of a 10-year, $275 million deal, had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip.

"Alex is doing very well," hip specialist Dr Marc Philippon said in a conference call after performing the 80-minute procedure in Vail, Colorado. "The surgery went exactly as planned and we will start him on his rehab this afternoon.

"There is no doubt in our minds that this was the best option for Alex and for the Yankees," Philippon told reporters, according to MLB's official website mlb.com.

Other options considered by Rodriguez and the Yankees included having the three-time American League MVP try to play the season, relying on rest and rehabilitation only, and having more extensive surgery that would sideline him four months.

(Agencies via China Daily March 11, 2009)